Dark Matter (song)

General Pearl Jam discussion.
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Dark Matter Initial Reactions

5 Stars
33
17%
4 Stars
92
48%
3 Stars
56
29%
2 Stars
8
4%
1 Star
3
2%
 
Total votes: 192

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tree_
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by tree_ »

guitar_davey wrote:
tree_ wrote:Yes, they were legendarily great. And the band still sounds pretty great. But Ed sounds laughably bad now, in mine and my wife's opinions, with all due respect to yours.
To me, "laughably bad" is Vince Neil or Axl Rose. Eddie can still sing the hell out of plenty of PJ's catalogue.
When I listen to him sing these days, I laugh... I can't help it... it sounds comical to me. I think it's the combination of intensity, struggle, and earnestness. It used to be so cool.
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by guitar_davey »

tree_ wrote:
guitar_davey wrote:
tree_ wrote:Yes, they were legendarily great. And the band still sounds pretty great. But Ed sounds laughably bad now, in mine and my wife's opinions, with all due respect to yours.
To me, "laughably bad" is Vince Neil or Axl Rose. Eddie can still sing the hell out of plenty of PJ's catalogue.
When I listen to him sing these days, I laugh... I can't help it... it sounds comical to me. I think it's the combination of intensity, struggle, and earnestness. It used to be so cool.
Fair enough.
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96583UP
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by 96583UP »

guitar_davey wrote:
96583UP wrote:gonna put this at like a 3.47 today

song's a little dry

just sayin'

i like the tempo though
We're into that second decimal place huh?
indeed

we're not quite at 3.5 today

maybe the laser beam effects are not impressing today? and feel like a cheap short-cut

they better wield that laser properly live

their ratings depend on it
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by Buby »

Jaeti wrote:
Ms Harmless wrote:somebody made one with twice the intro but I can't remember who
And a cool vocal intro version, too.
I am invisible in here :lol:
https://vocaroo.com/1d8T6zh3RN5i
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DDWJMUVW
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by DDWJMUVW »

96583UP wrote:gonna put this at like a 3.47 today

song's a little dry

just sayin'

i like the tempo though

I think I understand what you’re getting at by “dry” and I don’t necessarily disagree.

That said, I’m trying to assess it for what it is. Sometimes you just get a straight forward, simply structured (intro, verse, pre, chorus x 2, bridge, chorus, outro w solo) track that feels not complex but is still a really quality song.

Plenty of precedent here for this. To me, they nail most of the constituent parts, even if the structure is uncomplicated and routine.

I’m sure we will get weird, funky, odd time signatures etc elsewhere on the record.
"For me, it's all about the time we're having just playing the songs. So if it's kind of a mindless good time, then....."
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tragabigzanda
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by tragabigzanda »

pearl jam sucks now
Last edited by tragabigzanda on Thu January 01, 2026 7:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by oneway23 »

tragabigzanda wrote:So weird to me that people are spending pages arguing about a 60-year old guy’s declining voice but totally fine with a mixing/mastering job that will give the whole jamily tinnitus
The mind boggles, yo
We still make records to be listened to — not that everyone will listen to a record track one to twelve in a row or side A or Side B — but we still make 'em in case somebody does want to listen to it like that, that's how we make em…
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by liebzz »

guitar_davey wrote:
mikejasond wrote:
tree_ wrote:Wife Raz agrees with me and thinks the band sounds great. And sadly, Ed should retire. Just imagine say, Jack White in his place here. Could be quite great. I won't start saying "fire".
Eddie Vedder IS Pearl Jam. Like, they are not the legendary band they are today without him. Is he at his peak as a vocalist? No. The younger Eddie's voice gives me chills and is maybe the greatest rock voice I've ever heard. He's not omg amazing anymore like he was once. And sometimes its frustrating to me too because I so want to hear that old voice. But you know, today, you stack Eddie against other singers as if you were hearing him for the first time and he's still really good. And Pearl Jam won't have Eddie retire because they know 90% of their appeal goes away when that happens. They are a good band but it's Eddie that makes them truly special, that has ALWAYS been the case.
MJD talking all the sense on this page. Master class in how to critique the boys' age (and even the decline) without being a dick about it. :peace: :thumbsup:
This seems right on.
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Jaeti
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by Jaeti »

guitar_davey wrote:
96583UP wrote:gonna put this at like a 3.47 today

song's a little dry

just sayin'

i like the tempo though
We're into that second decimal place huh?
We must evolve.
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by Ms Harmless »

yeah good post by mikejasond

I have always valued this band for having great musicians, especially Dave A when I was a young drummer, but what made PJ PJ and no other band is the tone and delivery of Ed's voice; that's still true, for better and for worse
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by Ms Harmless »

Buby wrote:
Jaeti wrote:
Ms Harmless wrote:somebody made one with twice the intro but I can't remember who
And a cool vocal intro version, too.
I am invisible in here :lol:
https://vocaroo.com/1d8T6zh3RN5i
it was Buby!
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by Ms Harmless »

guitar_davey wrote:
Walker Bait wrote:
Ms Harmless wrote:I love the way Ed sings "it's... strange... these days... well", some of that old nasality in his voice is back, and the way "well" comes down to a lower note again and is pushed just in front of the next snare note instead of falling with it; it's those little subtleties that I love about Pearl Jam and that kind of syncopated funky singing really does remind me of a song like "Go"
I love the way he delivers that part too. And also the line, "No one knows what's happening next!". It's aggressive but not in a forced way, it's organic, it's sincere. There's almost a sense of panic behind it, and I identify with that. It's relatable and relevant.
Similarly, I love the low key menace in his low register when he sings "No sorrow for the unaccountable"
yes, it's like a whispered threat, "we're coming for you", especially before that militaristic gunfire drum fill into the solo; it's this kind of attention to detail that made me fall for this band and so far we have it on the Dark Matter album as we did on Gigaton
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by guitar_davey »

DDWJMUVW wrote:
96583UP wrote:gonna put this at like a 3.47 today

song's a little dry

just sayin'

i like the tempo though

I think I understand what you’re getting at by “dry” and I don’t necessarily disagree.

That said, I’m trying to assess it for what it is. Sometimes you just get a straight forward, simply structured (intro, verse, pre, chorus x 2, bridge, chorus, outro w solo) track that feels not complex but is still a really quality song.

Plenty of precedent here for this. To me, they nail most of the constituent parts, even if the structure is uncomplicated and routine.

I’m sure we will get weird, funky, odd time signatures etc elsewhere on the record.
If this wasn't Pearl Jam, I probably wouldn't really be into this song, but that's partly down to the fact that PJ was at the forefront of a movement of bombastic "alternative rock" bands that have been half-rate copied endlessly for the past thirty years and I can't stand those bands. If it was anybody else, it would be derivative of PJ anyway. But as it is, it *is* Pearl Jam and I'm loving it.
Last edited by guitar_davey on Thu February 15, 2024 5:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by Ms Harmless »

guitar_davey wrote:
DDWJMUVW wrote:
96583UP wrote:gonna put this at like a 3.47 today

song's a little dry

just sayin'

i like the tempo though

I think I understand what you’re getting at by “dry” and I don’t necessarily disagree.

That said, I’m trying to assess it for what it is. Sometimes you just get a straight forward, simply structured (intro, verse, pre, chorus x 2, bridge, chorus, outro w solo) track that feels not complex but is still a really quality song.

Plenty of precedent here for this. To me, they nail most of the constituent parts, even if the structure is uncomplicated and routine.

I’m sure we will get weird, funky, odd time signatures etc elsewhere on the record.
If this wasn't Pearl Jam, I probably wouldn't really be into this song, but that's partly down to the fact that PJ was at the forefront of a movement of bombastic "alternative rock" bands that have been half-rate copied endlessly for the past thirty years and I can't stand those bands. If it as anybody else, it would be derivative of PJ anyway. But as it is, it *is* Pearl Jam and I'm loving it.
that!
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by Ms Harmless »

Pearl Jam have every permission they need from me to be "unoriginal" if the statement they're making, and making well, is "we helped make this sound in the first place"
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by Hypnos »

Well, this is the song with the Eddie snippet, two round instrumental intro and extended instrumental after the solo.

https://vocaroo.com/1iWISu79MC8p
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by guitar_davey »

Ms Harmless wrote:Pearl Jam have every permission they need from me to be "unoriginal" if the statement they're making, and making well, is "we helped make this sound in the first place"
Hear hear!
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by Buby »

Hypnosomnia wrote:Well, this is the song with the Eddie snippet, two round instrumental intro and extended instrumental after the solo.

https://vocaroo.com/1iWISu79MC8p
Thanks dude :)
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Jaeti
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by Jaeti »

Hypnosomnia wrote:Well, this is the song with the Eddie snippet, two round instrumental intro and extended instrumental after the solo.

https://vocaroo.com/1iWISu79MC8p
This is wonderful.
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spike
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by spike »

Buby wrote:
Jaeti wrote:
Ms Harmless wrote:somebody made one with twice the intro but I can't remember who
And a cool vocal intro version, too.
I am invisible in here :lol:
https://vocaroo.com/1d8T6zh3RN5i
was this done with AI
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